Patricia Somers

•••Professional Experience

For the past 36 years, Patricia Somers has dedicated her professional life to creating opportunity for America’s youth socially, emotionally, physically, and academically.

As a physical education teacher in Utica, New York, and Houston, Texas, Patricia immediately recognized the need to positively and proactively manage student behavior. Her skill at motivating even the most reluctant students led her to become the lead physical education teacher in her district, writing curricula, providing support to her peers, and managing the professional development activities for 28 schools.

After demonstrating her expertise at training and motivating staff, Patricia became the K-12 Prevention and Safe Schools Specialist for Alief Independent School District in Houston, Texas. Her responsibilities included training teachers in behavior management, providing individualized support to struggling teachers, teaching prevention concepts and social skills directly to students across the district, and providing individual support to those students who most needed her assistance.

In addition to her highly acclaimed work for Safe & Civil Schools, Patricia fills leadership roles in several community organizations and serves as a court-appointed special advocate. She is a member of multiple Boards of Directors, including Child Advocates of Fort Bend (where she also serves as chairperson of the Ambassador Council) and Parks Youth Ranch (a shelter for homeless and at-risk youth).

•••Safe & Civil Schools Affiliation

In 2006, Patricia was selected to become a Safe & Civil Schools trainer. She currently works throughout the United States training schools and districts in effective classroom management for grades K-8, classroom management for high schools, and schoolwide positive behavior support systems.